Craig Hepburn offers you a different and quite unique soccer township experience to discover and explore the township Imizamo Yethu of Hout Bay. An experience in which he combines a cultural walking tour and... playing soccer with a local soccer team! It is a true thrill for soccer fanatics and a chance to play soccer in the township!

Hepburn has been involved in Imizamo Yethu in Hout Bay for more than 15 years, trying to improve the living conditions of the people living in this particular township. Since a few years he also offers township tours, as he firmly believes that township 'done the right way'  tourism makes a difference as it promotes local business and initiative.

Now, he combining his tours with his passion: Football. Since a few years Hepburn, himself a former profesional soccer player for the Orlando Pirates, is involved in the setting up of a soccer academy in the township of Hout Bay: The African Brotherhood Soccer Academy.

Hepburn's soccer school not only revolves around teaching the sport. "We want to involve everyone from the township, not only the kids annex future soccer players," Hepburn explains. "We want to train referees, we want to train coaches and get people involved in the maintenance of the future school. It will be a sports project combined with a social and community project."

As the township tours in Imizamo Yethu are very important to him, Hepburn decided to combine soccer and his beloved tourists. "My new tour consists of two components: a half a day township walking tour, and half a day being involved with soccer. I think it will be fun for those soccer fanatics!"

"Plus, the expertise of experienced soccer players - amateurs of semi-professionals, doesn't matter - is important to us. We need all the help we can get to make the soccer academy possible. That includes the support from outsiders."

In the near future Hepburn wants to attract trainees and interns from South Africa and abroad to assist in the training of the different soccer teams, coaches and referees. "But also to give these kids a basic education, social and life skills," Hepburn clarifies. [feel free to contact CapeTownMagazine.com if you want to get involved]

"Every township in South Africa will have an African Brotherhood Football Academy", Heopvburn says. "My ultimate goal? To have at least one youngster from the townships playing in the Soccer World Cup in 2010."

Recommended Reading:
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Read more on The Bo Kaap, District Six & Township Tour

Source: CapeTownMagazine.com

For more information on township tours or playing soccer in Imizamo Yethu, contact Cape Town Magazine.com.